Planning Your Visit

At Athwal Eye Associates, our doctors specialize in medical and surgical eye care. For more than 30 years, we have remained on the cutting edge of technology to provide families in Toms River and the surrounding area with expert medical and surgical services. We offer comprehensive eye care ranging from routine eye exams and contact lenses to cataract surgery, corneal transplants and more.

A comprehensive, routine, yearly or complete eye exam will evaluate the overall health of your eyes and indicate if further testing in any areas are necessary.

A refraction is usually performed to determine if there is a need for, or change in, prescription glasses or contact lenses.

Consultations & Second Opinions are always welcome.

The exam may be targeted to the issue in question or comprehensive if needed.

We take your emergencies seriously. We will fit your urgent ophthalmic care into our day or refer you to our covering physician when we are not here.

We have most testing equipment in our office and can schedule most of your tests here when necessary.

Our optician is on site daily to coordinate with our doctors for the best possible prescription fit. Your contact lenses may be ordered here as well.

Things to Bring to Your Eye Exam

Sunglasses, and someone to transport you home from your appointment (Eye exams often require dilation, which can make your vision blurry for several hours.)

Your current glasses and/or contact lenses

A list of your current medications (prescription and non-prescription)

A current driver’s license or state ID

Insurance ID cards

Physician referral if required by your insurance

What to Expect at Your Eye Exam

If it is your first time coming to our office we will send you forms in the mail to fill out before you arrive. This will expedite your check-in experience. In addition to these forms you will be asked to sign a few consent forms.

Once you have checked – in at the front desk and completed your consent forms, a technician will call you into the back to begin your exam. The technician will go over your medical history and perform several tests before you see the doctor. Your visions and eye pressures will be checked. You will be offered a refraction.

What is a refraction? A refraction is the test where you sit behind a device that holds multiple different lens powers. You are asked to choose which lens helps you to see the clearest. This is how we acquire a prescription for glasses. This is also how we assess what your best corrected vision is. If you have been sent to us for Cataract Surgery, it is a requirement that we do this test to prove that glasses will not improve your vision.

Next, your eyes will be dilated. The technician will instill eye drops that will open your pupils wide so the doctor can see inside the eye. Without these drops, as soon as the doctor shines a light to see inside the eye, the pupil will close and there will be no view of the back of the eye. This does cause some light sensitivity and blurry vision up close for several hours until the drops wear off. Because of this, you are advised to bring a driver and sunglasses with you.

Once the drops have done their magic, in about 15-20 minutes, you will be ready to see the doctor. The doctor will go over your concerns and then have you place your chin and forehead up to the microscope. The doctor will then examine the outsides and the insides of the eyes. If there are any findings the doctor will discuss them with you at this time. If further testing is needed, it may be done that day or it may need to be scheduled.

When you are finished with your eye exam you will be escorted back to the front desk where your copays and fees will be collected and any future appointments will be made. If you do not need an appointment within the next 6 months we will send you a reminder when it is time for your next appointment.